MARIN TO RIDE STATESMAN IN WOOD MEMORIAL; CAMACHO WINS 3

By Mike Henry —-

MARIN TO RIDE STATESMAN IN WOOD MEMORIAL; CAMACHO WINS 3

OLDSMAR, FL. – Leading Tampa Bay Downs jockey Samuel Marin plans to join the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” next Saturday at Aqueduct in New York.

Marin will ride Statesman, a 3-year-old colt owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing LLC and CJ Stables and trained by Claude “Shug” McGaughey, III in the Grade II, $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes. The mile-and-an-eighth race awards qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 3 to the first five finishers on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale.

The 23-year-old Marin, who leads the Oldsmar standings with 91 victories, has ridden Statesman to a pair of victories at Tampa Bay Downs, on Jan. 17 in a maiden special weight race and on Feb. 26 in an allowance/optional claiming event in his most recent start. Both races were contested at a distance of a mile-and-40-yards.

“I feel blessed and thankful to Mr. Shug McGaughey for this opportunity. It makes me feel very special,” said Marin, who plans to fly to New York on April 5, the morning of the race. “He’s a comfortable horse to be on, and he’ll let you ride him the way you want. If you want to be close early he’ll have that for you, and if there is a lot of speed in the race, he can sit off the pace.”

A son of Constitution out of the Empire Maker mare Icon Project, Statesman was 0-for-3 as a 2-year-old. He has had three 4-furlong workouts at Gulfstream Park since his last race. Lacking any “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points, he would need at least a top-three finish to qualify for the Run for the Roses, but his connections believe he is finding himself when it matters.

“The horse looks like he is improving and coming around at the right time,” said Mike Moran, Marin’s agent. “I’m grateful to (McGaughey) for giving Samuel this shot. He’s riding great, making good moves and doing everything he’s supposed to do.”

Live Oak knows Florida Cup. Live Oak Stud, owner Charlotte Weber’s 4,500-acre Thoroughbred farm and commercial cattle operation, has bred a record 11 Florida Cup winners, each of whom won under the Live Oak Plantation banner. The Ocala showcase has three chances to add to those totals for most winners bred and most races won in Sunday’s mile-and-an-eighth ESMARK Turf Classic, one of six $110,000 stakes for registered Florida-breds.

Michael Trombetta, who has sent out three Live Oak Plantation winners on Florida Cup Day, including two last year, has entered 6-year-old gelding Forever Souper, the 2024 ESMARK Turf Classic winner, and 4-year-old Crystal Quest, who won last year’s Equistaff Sophomore Turf. Mark Casse, who has won five Florida Cup races for Live Oak, has entered 4-year-old gelding Street Earnings.

Crystal Quest and Forever Souper, who will break from the Nos. 1 and 2 posts, respectively, in the 12-horse field, are making their 2025 debuts. “They are both ready to run and it’s time to get them started, so that’s what we’re going to do,” Trombetta said.

“The timing works out real well. It’s really an ideal situation – Tampa has a great turf course and this race is a great way to kick off their seasons. Hopefully they can get things started the right way,” Trombetta said.

Forever Souper, who will be ridden by Paco Lopez, was 5-for-8 with two thirds last year. He won three consecutive stakes last summer: the Prince George’s County Stakes on the turf at Laurel and the Avery Whisman Memorial and the Presque Isle Mile, both on the all-weather surface at Presque Isle Downs.

Crystal Quest, who will be ridden by Marin, has a pair of seconds against stakes competition in six starts since last year’s Florida Cup.

The ESMARK Turf Classic is the eighth race on an 11-race card beginning at noon.

Another Live Oak Stud-bred horse, 7-year-old gelding Comedy Town, is entered in the NYRABETS Sprint, which is the 10th race. Comedy Town is owned by Ten Twenty Racing and Saffie A. Joseph, Jr., and trained by Joseph.

The Florida Cup begins with the fourth race, the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore for 3-year-olds at 7 furlongs on the main track. The Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies is the seventh race, also at 7 furlongs.

The ESMARK Turf Classic is next, followed by the Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf, for fillies and mares going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass; the NYRABETS Sprint; and the Equistaff Sophomore Turf for 3-year-olds at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass.

Around the oval. Golden Juan, a 6-year-old gelding owned by Hector R. Gonzalez and trained by Juan Carlos Avila, lowered the track’s mile-and-40-yard record for the second consecutive start in the eighth race, a starter/optional claiming event. Golden Juan toured the distance in 1:38.02, .12 seconds than he had raced eight days earlier.

That effort had bettered the 1:38.28 clocking turned in by Copperlite on Feb. 1, when he defeated Golden Juan by 2 ½ lengths.

Samuel Marin rode Golden Juan, who finished 8 lengths ahead of The Doorman. Golden Juan is 4-for-5 at the meet and has won eight of his last nine starts at Tampa Bay Downs.

Samy Camacho rode three winners today for the second time in the last three racing days. Camacho won the second race on Baltasar, a 7-year-old gelding owned and trained by Juan Arriagada. Baltasar was claimed from the race for $10,000 by trainer Michael Simone for new owner Robert Deckert, Jr.

Camacho and Arriagada repeated in the third race on the turf with Sparkling Ruby. Camacho also won the seventh, the Lambholm South Race of the Week, on the turf aboard 4-year-old filly Miss Mottley for owners First Row Partners and Team Hanley and trainer Chad Brown.

Jesus Castanon rode two winners today. He captured the first race on Starship Tango, a 5-year-old horse owned by Starship Stables and trained by M. Anthony Ferraro. Castanon also won the fourth on Naked Eye, a 3-year-old filly owned by Metro Thoroughbreds and trained by Derek Ryan.

Tampa Bay Downs races Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and is open every day except April 20, Easter, for simulcast wagering, no-limits action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and golf fun and instruction at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.